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Speaker 1: Hello, friends, and welcome to sleep Tight Stories. I'd like

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Speaker 1: to say hello to Cecilia, who was listening from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Speaker 1: Hello to Becker, and Hello to Eva in Sydney, Australia.

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Speaker 1: Happy belated birthday to Fay in Saslito, California, who turned

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Speaker 1: eight on June second. Happy belated birthday to Tessa Martin

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Speaker 1: from Farmingham, Massachusetts, who turned ten on June fifth. Happy

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Speaker 1: belated birthday to Owen from Braintree, Massachusetts, who turned six

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Speaker 1: on June sixth. Happy belated birthday to Ivy in Inglewood,

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Speaker 1: californ who turned six on June sixth. Happy belated birthday

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Speaker 1: to Evelyn Matilda in Hanover, Germany, who turned ten on

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Speaker 1: June seventh. Mom and Dad love you very much. Happy

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Speaker 1: belated birthday to Gina who turned nine on June eighth.

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Speaker 1: Mama and Papa and the cats love you so much.

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Speaker 1: Happy belated birthday to Asher from Knoxville, Tennessee, who turned

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Speaker 1: eight on June eleventh. Happy belated birthday to Kim Juu

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Speaker 1: one in South Korea who had a birthday on June twelfth.

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Speaker 1: Happy birthday to Lucy in San Jose, California, who turned

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Speaker 1: six on June thirteenth. Happy birthday to Alabama Rose from

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Speaker 1: Athy County, Kildare in Iola, Maryland, who turned seven on

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Speaker 1: June fourteenth. Lots of love from Mom, dad and sister Harley.

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Speaker 1: Happy birthday to Aria from Astville, Ontario, who turns twelve

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Speaker 1: on June fourteenth. Love Forever, Mom, Daddo and Autumn. Happy

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Speaker 1: birthday to Hayley from Braintree, Massachusetts, who is turning eight

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Speaker 1: on June fourteenth. Happy birthday to Ambrose from north Tonawanda,

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Speaker 1: New York, who is turning six on June fifteenth. Happy

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Speaker 1: birthday to Evelyn Stuart from Waterloo, Ontario, who is turning

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Speaker 1: nine on June fifteenth. Happy birthday, Mommy loves you to

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Speaker 1: bits and pieces. Happy birthday to Ruby from Vail, Arizona,

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Speaker 1: who has a birthday on June fourteenth. Happy birthday to

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Speaker 1: Oliver Bogard from Philadelphia who is turning five on June sixteenth.

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Speaker 1: Happy birthday to Natalia Celine from France who is turning

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Speaker 1: seven on June seventeenth. Always remember that Tete loves you

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Speaker 1: no matter what. Happy birthday to Zuri, who is turning

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Speaker 1: seven from Mom and Nanny. Happy birthday to Adalia who

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Speaker 1: is turning eight, and Eloian who is turning five from

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Speaker 1: Willamette Valley in Oregon. Happy birthday to you all. I

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Speaker 1: hope you have a wonderful day. Shout outs and birthday

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Speaker 1: wishes are one way we give thanks to our supporters.

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Speaker 1: If you would like to support us and receive more

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Speaker 1: bedtime entertainment like this all I ad free, please visit

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Speaker 1: our support page at sleep tightstories dot org slash support

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Speaker 1: Thank you. Esther is going to get the map and

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Speaker 1: go and find her father. She packs a small bag

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Speaker 1: and heads out of the house. The map guides her

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Speaker 1: on the path and Esther is excited. She has some

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Speaker 1: struggles getting through the vegetation, but when she gets to

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Speaker 1: where the portal is supposed to be, it's not there.

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Speaker 1: She sits down and cries until she notices something on

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Speaker 1: the tree. She gets up and the map continues to

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Speaker 1: glow as the center of the tree starts to shimmer

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Speaker 1: and sparkle. Esther takes a deep breath, then takes a

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Speaker 1: step inside the Magical Book of Dreams Part twelve. After

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Speaker 1: stepping through the portal, Esther's heart started racing with a

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Speaker 1: mix of excitement and fear. The moment her foot touched

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Speaker 1: the other side. She was instantly enveloped in a constantly

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Speaker 1: changing mix of colors and sounds as she was transported

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Speaker 1: to a place unlike anything she had ever seen. Gone

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Speaker 1: were the serene meadows and gentle streams that she had

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Speaker 1: seen at the entrance to the portal, nor the quiet

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Speaker 1: calmness of Shirewood. It was replaced by a scene that

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Speaker 1: seemed to breathe with magic. Everything was blurred, like she

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Speaker 1: was walking faster than the fastest dragon. She saw towering

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Speaker 1: trees with leaves of every imaginable hue stretching to towards

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Speaker 1: a sky, their branches adorned with glowing orbs that emitted

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Speaker 1: a soft, ethereal light. The air hummed with a mysterious

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Speaker 1: melody unlike any she had ever heard before, as if

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Speaker 1: the wind was whispering secrets of the place she was

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Speaker 1: to visit. The ground was spongy, like walking on the

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Speaker 1: mossy growth surrounding a pond near her house. She shouldn't

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Speaker 1: be able to move so quickly, yet she kept accelerating.

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Speaker 1: Ester's eyes widened as she took in the creatures that

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Speaker 1: darted past her through the air. Unicorns from the mystical

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Speaker 1: forest trotted with rainbow colored manes, their hoofs barely touching

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Speaker 1: the ground. Mischievous pixies flitted about, leaving trails of glowing

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Speaker 1: dust behind them. People of all shapes and sizes ran past,

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Speaker 1: and at her feet were tiny doors embedded in the

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Speaker 1: flora and fauna that beckoned with the promise of strange

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Speaker 1: and wonderful inhabitants within. As she continued walking through what

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Speaker 1: looked like an endless path in an incredibly varied, multicolor forest,

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Speaker 1: her pace began to quicken, and she started to feel ill.

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Speaker 1: The world she entered blurred even more. Her ears were

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Speaker 1: then met with cascading sounds of nature, but all mixed

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Speaker 1: together and presented all at once. The melodious trills of

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Speaker 1: songbirds and calls of animals she couldn't recognize were mingled

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Speaker 1: with the loud rustling of life. Far in the distance.

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Speaker 1: She caught the distant laughter of fairies and the rumbling

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Speaker 1: purr of cats large and small. She felt heavier and

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Speaker 1: heavier as she continued. Could the dizziness and the weight

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Speaker 1: pressing down on her shoulders be a test test or not?

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Speaker 1: With each step esther's determination grew for she knew that

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Speaker 1: within the unknown realm lay the answers she sought, the

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Speaker 1: whereabouts of her long lost father. She pressed on, ready

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Speaker 1: to face whatever challenges she would have to face. Then

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Speaker 1: she saw just ahead a bright white light. The colors, sounds,

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Speaker 1: and her speed started to diminish, until she was surrounded

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Speaker 1: by darkness and was in front of what she thought

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Speaker 1: must have been the entrance to the other side. She paused,

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Speaker 1: then she stepped through with a sound that resembled a

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Speaker 1: rock falling into deep water. As her eyes adjusted, she

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Speaker 1: looked behind her. The portal was gone and the map

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Speaker 1: she had held in her hand was blank. She had

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Speaker 1: no way back to Shirewood. She was alone, though not

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Speaker 1: quite feeling herself, She had little choice but to press

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Speaker 1: forward and assess her surroundings. As esther walked slowly, she

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Speaker 1: noticed how the landscape revealed itself in somewhat muted detail.

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Speaker 1: Her realm's lush and vibrant colors were replaced by a

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Speaker 1: palette of brown and gray hues and deep shadowy tones.

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Speaker 1: The sky hung heavy with clouds that obscured much of

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Speaker 1: the sunlight, making what should have been midday look like dusk.

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Speaker 1: The terrain Beneath her feet bore the scars of an ancient,

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Speaker 1: forgotten turmoil. Jagged rocks jutted from the ground, their surfaces

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Speaker 1: weathered and cracked. A dense mist clung to the air,

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Speaker 1: swirling and twisting, obscuring distant landmarks and giving an unsettling

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Speaker 1: sense of foreboding. She stopped to rest and sit on

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Speaker 1: a rock. Ester had spent a great deal of time

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Speaker 1: walking around the re remote parts of Shirewood and was

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Speaker 1: never concerned for her safety, but here it somehow felt different.

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Speaker 1: I can't continue to wander aimlessly about, she thought, so

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Speaker 1: she called out, Hello, Hello, are there any friendly travelers?

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Speaker 1: There was no answer, not even a stirring of animals

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Speaker 1: in nearby bushes and trees. Hello again, no response. Seeing

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Speaker 1: high ground vaguely revealed in the distance, she decided to

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Speaker 1: walk farther down what she assumed was a path. After

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Speaker 1: a time, she noticed to her right ruins that stood

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Speaker 1: as a testament to some forgotten people or village. Dilapidated

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Speaker 1: structures rose from the ground like skeletal remains, their crumbling

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Speaker 1: walls adorned with faded, unintelligible carvings. The vegetation along the

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Speaker 1: path she walked was twisted and gnarled, with thorns reaching

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Speaker 1: out like grasping claws, warning her of the dangers hidden beyond.

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Speaker 1: I had best stay on the path, she said aloud.

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Speaker 1: The atmosphere seemed dense and heavy, as though the very

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Speaker 1: air held a weighty sorrow. It was a place where

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Speaker 1: hope seemed fragile, and even the faintest glimmers of light

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Speaker 1: fought to pierce the pervasive grayness. Walking slowly, she wondered

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Speaker 1: what would draw so many people to this place. This

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Speaker 1: is not the unknown realm of her imagination or what

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Speaker 1: she had read or heard about. Stopping for a moment,

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Speaker 1: she decided to call out again, Hello, is there anyone there?

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Speaker 1: No answer, Hello, Yes, I can hear you, as can

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Speaker 1: every creature throughout the realm. Startled Esther turned around and

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Speaker 1: standing behind her was a young girl dressed in worn

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Speaker 1: clothes made from tough fabrics she couldn't recognize. Her face

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Speaker 1: was rough with experience. My name is Ariyah. Stop yelling

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Speaker 1: and follow me. You shouldn't be out walking in the

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Speaker 1: glade alone. Ariah started walking quickly, and Esther struggled to

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Speaker 1: keep up. As the distance grew larger, Esther said, please slow, down,

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Speaker 1: I can't keep up. With a deep sigh and a scowl,

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Speaker 1: Riah turned and, while walking towards Esther, said, you are

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Speaker 1: experiencing the sickness that every foolish traveler has when they

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Speaker 1: come through the portal. It will go away on its own.

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Speaker 1: But drink this and it should help you feel better.

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Speaker 1: Esther hesitated as Ariah gave her a sack filled with liquid.

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Speaker 1: Sighing again, Ariah said, I'm not trying to poison you.

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Speaker 1: You foolishly came here without any provisions. If you don't

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Speaker 1: drink this, you might not reach the village ahead. I'm sorry,

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Speaker 1: Esther said as she grabbed the sack to take a drink.

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Speaker 1: She was thirsty and took a large gulp. Then the

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Speaker 1: bitter taste hit her. Ugh, what is this? This is

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Speaker 1: how water now tastes here in the dark realm. This

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Speaker 1: contains some essential nutrients and a touch of what little

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Speaker 1: good magic is left. Esther started to feel better almost instantly.

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Speaker 1: They started walking again. Why did you call this the

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Speaker 1: dark realm? And where am i? And why does everything

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Speaker 1: look so unhappy? Well, Mariah paused before continuing, this has

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Speaker 1: been the name of this place since Queen Morgana fell

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Speaker 1: to the influence of bad magic. What was once light

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Speaker 1: becomes gray. We have about an hour more walking until

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Speaker 1: we reach my village. The elders will be able to

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Speaker 1: help you with whatever sillyques quest you are on, but

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Speaker 1: most likely they will have you growing food where food

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Speaker 1: is difficult to grow. I'm not on a silly quest.

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Speaker 1: I came here in search of my father, who traveled

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Speaker 1: here many years ago. And she said quieter, I'm not

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Speaker 1: much of a gardener anyway. Everyone who comes here from

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Speaker 1: somewhere else is doing something important. Gardeners are what is

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Speaker 1: needed most. Ariah started walking faster. Why are we in

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Speaker 1: such a rush? Is it not safe? Esther asked, It

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Speaker 1: is not so safe for you who does not know

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Speaker 1: the ways of the glade. It's not like the kingdom

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Speaker 1: you come from. I suspect it feels different here. And

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Speaker 1: though the vegetation looks similar, as do the trees in

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Speaker 1: the distance, everything has a look of sadness. Esther remarked.

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Speaker 1: It wasn't always this way. This land used to be

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Speaker 1: vibrant and full of good magic. Ariah said, with a

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Speaker 1: tone that revealed she had told the same thing many

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Speaker 1: times before. You see long ago. Our Queen Morgana was

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Speaker 1: not always the embodiment of such sadness, such malevolence. She

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Speaker 1: was once a fair and just ruler, beloved by her

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Speaker 1: subjects and admired for her wisdom and kindness. However, her

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Speaker 1: fate took a turn when she stumbled upon a strange

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Speaker 1: artifact hidden deep within the realm. Unbeknownst to her, the

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Speaker 1: artifact held an old, evil magic that whispered promises of

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Speaker 1: unlimited power and eternal youth. Queen Morgana had been getting

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Speaker 1: on in age and couldn't move as far or as

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Speaker 1: fast as she once could, so the empty promises the

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Speaker 1: artifact proposed came at her weakest moment. Queen Morgana succumbed

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Speaker 1: to its temptations, unaware of the corrupting influence it would

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Speaker 1: have on her character. As she embraced this bad magic,

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Speaker 1: it gradually twisted her once pure intentions and clouded her judgment.

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Speaker 1: The magic came to control her, feeding on her insecurities

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Speaker 1: and ambitions, until she became a mere puppet of its

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Speaker 1: malevolent will. Under its influence, Queen Morgana's heart grew cold,

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Speaker 1: and her kindness and compassion withered away. She became driven

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Speaker 1: by a thirst for even greater youth. The more she

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Speaker 1: used her new found abilities to subjugate her subjects, the

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Speaker 1: younger she became. Our once benevolent queen has become a tyrant,

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Speaker 1: ruling with an iron fist and showing no mercy to

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Speaker 1: those who dared to oppose her. The artifact has also

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Speaker 1: had an effect on all the good magic that used

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Speaker 1: to help make this realm full of color and light.

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Speaker 1: That is why nothing wants to grow or show color.

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Speaker 1: That is why everything looks gray. Esther kept silent, not

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Speaker 1: knowing exactly what to say. But as she took a

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Speaker 1: breath to ask more questions, Ariah said, enough talking for now.

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Speaker 1: We must get to the village soon. The rest of

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Speaker 1: the walk was in silence. Though she felt better after

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Speaker 1: having drunk from Mariah's flask, Esther felt tired. The walk

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Speaker 1: was brisk but manageable. She had no real concept of time.

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Speaker 1: She knew it took a great deal of effort to

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Speaker 1: reach the portal, but how much time she spent inside

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Speaker 1: the portal she didn't know. Perhaps it was the gloomy

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Speaker 1: nature of this place that drained her energy. Before long,

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Speaker 1: they came to the edge of what was the village?

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Speaker 1: You would miss it if you weren't looking for the

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Speaker 1: place or knew it was here, Its people and structures

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Speaker 1: hidden to all but the most trained eye. Esther knew

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Speaker 1: that if she wasn't being guided by Riah, she would

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Speaker 1: have never found it and would likely still be wandering

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Speaker 1: about the glade. The village was a motley collection of

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Speaker 1: moss covered stone cottages, their walls adorned with climbing vines

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Speaker 1: and lined cobbled stone paths that wound through the heart

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Speaker 1: of the community. Though dusk, there was little in the

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Speaker 1: way of light, and though there were pots similar to

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Speaker 1: what they used in Shirewood for lamps, they were not lit.

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Speaker 1: No fairy magic to light the paths or the cottages.

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Speaker 1: In the central square, a fountain stood, but no water

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Speaker 1: flowed from its center. The people went about their business,

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Speaker 1: largely ignoring Ester's arrival, and their quiet smiles as they

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Speaker 1: worked gave some semblance of normalcy in what Esther felt

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Speaker 1: was a sad place, mumbling to herself, Shirewood seems absolutely

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Speaker 1: exciting compared to this village. Stopping at the village center,

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Speaker 1: Ariah said, we must wait here. Before Esther could ask questions,

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Speaker 1: a voice behind her said, welcome to Elderwood. Esther turned

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Speaker 1: around to see a vaguely familiar looking elderly woman walking

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Speaker 1: towards her, smiling with an outstretched hand, a common greeting

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Speaker 1: in Shirewood. My name is Eliza. I am the village leader.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure you have as many questions as I do.

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Speaker 1: It's been ages since I have talked to anyone from Shirewood.

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Speaker 1: Follow me and we can enjoy some hot tea and food.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure you must be hungry, and that is the

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Speaker 1: end of this part. Good night, sleep tight,